


there’s nothing wrong with solo

by mimdecisive



Series: trouble 2x [4]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Injury, Reconciliation, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimdecisive/pseuds/mimdecisive
Summary: “It’s not… I don’t…” Catra sighed, and her voice grew small, “Did I drive you away, too?”Or: When Scorpia’s venom has an unusual affect on Double Trouble, they don’t have a choice but to rebuild a bridge they burnt.
Relationships: Catra & Double Trouble (She-Ra)
Series: trouble 2x [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741339
Comments: 12
Kudos: 197





	there’s nothing wrong with solo

**Author's Note:**

> based on how DT needed Sea Hawk to raise their hand for them after being stung. no one else has had that affect.
> 
> title is from the song ‘nice girl’ by syence.

Ugh, their head… The constant thumping wouldn’t stop, and everyone was so noisy for people who were supposed to be in hiding.

“Can we trust them?” Frosta asked Perfuma.

“Well, we can't just leave them there to get chipped,” Perfuma said, “What if we had to fight them? They can— they can turn into anyone!”

“More or less,” They added, although ‘turn’ didn’t truly describe what they did.

Frosta glared daggers at them, her stare cold and icy. It’s really no wonder, considering she’s the princess of snow.

“Are you going to keep talking?” They asked, “For someone trying to sneak around, you’re surprisingly loud.”

“No one can  _ really  _ navigate the whispering woods,” Perfuma said, “It should hide our voices among the whispers. Let’s go inside.”

“Should we  _ really  _ show them our secret base?”

“Don’t worry, darling, I’ve already been here,” Double Trouble added unhelpfully, “You know, if you’d put me down now…”

Sea Hawk only adjusted the position they were in as response.

“I won’t get chipped,” They assured them, “I mean, honestly darlings, you should know someone with my talents won't have a problem blending in.” Really, all they’d have to do is repeat what everyone else has been saying about Horde Prime.

Sea Hawk set them down inside. They wanted to stand up and leave, now that they were free. Minus the vines, of course. 

But… their body felt so heavy, like they had all the bones in their body replaced with rocks. And that wasn’t typically a good sign.

_ What did I use to do when I got sick, back in the Crimson Waste?  _ They wondered,  _ Well, usually I’d keep out of the sight of anyone unsavoury. The strong make the rules, after all.  _

Their head was still pounding, to the point they couldn’t hear anything anyone was saying. All the words blurred together, fading into pointless white noise.

_ What was in that venom? _

  
  
  


“Show us your necks!” 

They startled awake, blinking up. Perfuma had loosened her hold on them, and they were covered up by a sheet. 

DT moved their tail, weakly. They could slip out in the commotion, no one would even notice. Especially if there was a real fight.

“Ahh!”

_ Huh,  _ They thought idly,  _ Sounds like Catra.  _

That wasn’t good. If she was still mad at them, they’d never get out of here, and although they wouldn’t admit it out loud, they weren’t in a position to defend themself.

_ I can,  _ They told themself,  _ It’s… called… acting. _

They used their tail to take the sheet off, and then to help them stand up. The bonus with having such a long tail was that, if they really needed, it could act as a third arm or leg in that way.

They just had to start walking. Even without the vines restraining them, they knew their balance would have been off. They knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

_ I can get through this. I’ll just… pretend I’m someone who's not sick. Acting! _

Although their acting skills were great, their body was insistent on betraying them. They made it a few steps before they nearly toppled over.  _ It’s fine, I got this. _

Falling over would be too noisy, and they couldn’t run— could barely walk, without the help from their tail they didn’t think their body could even support itself enough to stand up. But they had to get out.

Being a prisoner wasn’t exactly their ideal situation right now, and seeing Catra certainly wouldn’t help.

Before they had managed to take another step, the moss was pushed aside to reveal the slightly larger group of princesses.  _ And  _ Catra. Great.

“Huh—“ Perfuma started, “Double Trouble— you shouldn’t be up!”

They grinned sheepishly, ears slightly down.

“Double Trouble?”

Catra’s mix-matched eyes met their own, full of so many emotions that they just 

couldn’t handle right now. 

Perfuma walked over to them and made them sit down, “You can’t walk around yet, you’ll hurt yourself.”

They raised an eyebrow at her, “And why is that, darling?”

“I… I… I don’t know,” Perfuma said, “You just passed out while we were discussing what we were gonna do, and—and you weren’t moving, and is that just how you sleep? If that’s how you sleep, it’s concerning.”

_ Right,  _ they thought,  _ I do remember falling asleep when I had a headache. ‘Passed out”... _

“Ooh, who’s this?” Entrapta asked. Huh,  _ now  _ they could replicate her. That would’ve been helpful previously.

“Double Trouble,” Catra repeated, her voice sounding so weak, “They’re a shapeshifter— you’d probably love it.”

“Meow. New haircut, kitten?”

Catra shifted uncomfortably, “Don’t call me that.”  _ You don’t get to give me a nickname. _

“Ouch.  _ Still  _ made?”

“No— I’m fine,” Catra said, “And you, are not my problem.”

Adora put her hand on Catra’s shoulder, “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s  _ fine,”  _ Catra replied. Ugh, she really wasn’t that great an actor.

“What did Double Trouble do, um, to you, I mean,” Perfuma asked, “I thought they were on your side.”

“They were,” Glimmer piped in, “I offered them a deal. They’d… betray Catra, and they would go free and have their money.”

“O… Oh, they’re a mercenary,” Perfuma said, “Well, we can’t really pay them— they did tell us about the blockade.”

“Because you threatened them,” Frosta added.

“W—Well, I didn’t have any money,” Perfuma crossed her arms, defensively, “And we can’t trust them.”

“Are they chipped?” Catra asked.

“No, but I think they might be sick,” Perfuma said, “We already checked for a chip.”

“They’re  _ sick?  _ Huh. Didn’t know that was possible,” Catra replied.

“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions, darling,” They said, standing up. It was more difficult without the use of their tail, but they couldn’t have anyone thinking they were that vulnerable.

“Right,” Glimmer said, “So why haven’t you escaped yet? They didn’t use magic.”

Their smile grew tighter, “Fine— I’ll admit it’s a little bit of a setback.”

“Aha!” Perfuma pointed, “They are sick!”

“So what,” Catra said, “Not our problem. They’re not loyal to us.”

“We can’t just leave them,” Adora frowned, “They’re defenceless, and if Horde Prime gets a hold of their abilities—“

“Ugh, fine,” Catra sighed, “They can stay until they’re better. But only because we can’t let Prime get ahold of them.”

“You know I can take care of myself, right?” They said, “With my abilities, I could easily make it look like I’ve already been chipped. Or just turn into a clone.”

“How do you expect to do that when you can’t stand?” Catra asked.

They faltered. Sighing, they said, “Well, I suppose I don’t really have a choice in the matter.”

They turned to Perfuma, “Darling, you should know the vines are unnecessary.”

“They’re right,” Catra said, “I put them in handcuffs when we first met. If they were able to escape, the vines wouldn’t slow them down.”

Reluctantly, Perfuma relinquished her hold on them. They moved their fingers, attempting to maybe wake up their muscles. If they weren’t getting paid, they didn’t want to work in a group.

“So, what made them sick?” Catra asked.

“We don’t know,” Perfuma said, “I mean, Scorpia might have known—“

“That’d be her venom, darling,” They interrupted, “I was fine before she stung me. How rude.”

“You were pretending to be someone else!”

_ Always am, darling. _

“Fascinating,” Entrapta said, “I think Scorpia’s venom must be reacting to their biology differently— normally, Scorpia just seems to knock people out by stinging them.”

“And? Why didn’t they react normally?”

“Well,” She said, “Scorpia never did give me a sample to study, like I asked— so they most I could do is offer to study their blood. It could be their species, or it could be a shapeshifter thing.  _ Or  _ it could even just be that Scorpia’s venom got stronger.”

“So no clear solution,” Catra said, “Except for you to study their blood. How long will that take?”

“Well— with everything going on, I don’t really have all the equipment I need on my person, like I used to. So first, I’d have to  _ make  _ the equipment. Between that, it could take anywhere from three days, to three weeks!”

She laughed maniacally, “Which is a bad thing.”

Catra groaned, “Can’t you fix them any sooner? We can’t drag them around all day.”

“I just told you,” Entrapta said, “I have the make the equipment, and then I have to test it— I’ll work as fast as I can, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

“What if they,” Perfuma hesitated, “What if the venom’s dangerous?”

“Oh, please,” Catra said, “This is Scorpia we’re talking about. Nothing about her is  _ that  _ dangerous.”

Perfuma huffed, “We don’t know that! They’re reacting to it differently than we did. When Scorpia stung me, I didn’t have these problems.”

“I didn’t either,” Adora added, “I could still move, and… I don’t know. Maybe She-Ra could heal them.”

“Adora, you don’t know how to bring She-Ra out,” Glimmer said.

“I  _ know  _ that.”

DT sighed, their headache gradually returning, “Can you keep it down for like ten minutes? It’s amazing you haven’t been found yet.”

“I know, right?” Catra joked, “It’s like, it’s like…”

She trailed off, going quiet. She held her arm comfortingly.  _ You really did a number on her, huh. I didn’t think she’d take it so personally. _

“Well, whatever,” Catra said, “Let’s be quiet. Let them get some rest, so they can get better and get out of here.” 

“You really don’t want them here,” Perfuma observed.

“Not really, no.”

_ Oh, kitten. _

  
  
  


They flickered their tail around uncomfortably, the anxiety that’s been long engraved in them bubbling up.

Double Trouble knew how the world worked, and most important they knew how the Crimson Waste worked. It was where they grew up, after all. It was their ‘home’.

Even back before they even knew how to shapeshift, how to act. It helped them to learn those gifts.

In the Crimson Waste, no one had anyone. You couldn’t trust someone, they were always waiting for an opportunity to betray you. But they always considered themself to be different. Betrayal was a last resort. Burning bridges didn’t get you anywhere, in the end.

And in the inescapable cell with the frequent visitors to interrogate them, who had a super weapon and who were going to use it, betrayal was the last resort.

Their last chance for survival. But they knew they weren’t trusted, and the feeling couldn’t be more mutual. No one had their back.

And because of this, they couldn’t help be uncomfortable sleeping around this group of people. Most of which they had already wronged as a mercenary, who might just be waiting for them to fall asleep.

In the Crimson Waste, they always slept alone. They usually instinctively camouflaged into their surroundings, so no one could find them— often on a roof, or somewhere else no one else would be.

But if they instinctively camouflaged now, the princesses would think they escaped. Might even think they’d willingly join Horde Prime. As if.

No, the Horde Prime crowd was a dull one. They only surveyed it for survival, as the very last option. 

If they joined Horde Prime, he’d chip them— and they weren’t partial to the idea of becoming a blank slate, and  _ such  _ a bad actor. Even Adora could out-act those mind controlled robots.

Really, it was  _ such  _ an embarrassment. It was good they could act, because otherwise they weren’t sure they’d have been able to resist cringing.

They summoned their strength to turn over, in an attempt to feel more comfortable. They kept their eyes open, just in case.

_ Look at you now, Double Trouble,  _ they thought idly,  _ Look at what you’ve got yourself into. This is what happens when you burn bridges too soon. _

“Can’t sleep?” 

They turned their head. Catra was standing over them, “And here I thought I wasn’t your problem, kitten.”

“You’re not,” Catra said, sitting down, “I just… I wanted to see if you were okay, is all.”

They raised an eyebrow at her.

“It’s not… I don’t…” Catra sighed, and her voice grew small, “Did I drive you away, too?”

_ It’s you. You drive them away, wildcat. _

“What makes you ask that question?”

“You said I drive people away— and I… I just wanted to know if that’s why you did it,” Catra said, “I don’t know how to be a good friend. I thought… we were on good terms, but…”

“It wasn’t personal, kitten,” They interrupted, “You knew how it worked. Always pick the winning side, remember?”

“Yeah,” Catra breathed out, “But, you… Why? Why was it so easy to betray me? I… Why did I trust you in the first place?”

“I can’t say I know the answer to your second question. That’s a you problem,” They said, “I made it clear my loyalty was conditional. But clearly, you needed a friend more than an employee. Perhaps that’s what you should’ve hired.”

“I thought I did. I thought we could… be friends,” Catra said, “But you made it clear it was the money. I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

“You shouldn’t have,” They agreed, “Like I’ve been saying. But, you did. Maybe you’d like to answer your own question as to why.”

“I… I liked spending time with you,” Catra admitted, reluctantly, “It was nice to have someone to talk to, and you… always seemed like you understood. Scorpia, she cared about me but, you know… We’re… different.”

“I should hope so,” They smirked, “Unless you’ve been hiding some shapeshifting skills of your own.”

“No,” Catra laughed, “I just mean… Scorpia, she’s a nice person. And I’m not. You wanted me to have fun, and you’d make fun of them with me. It just seemed… I just… I had fun, is all.”

They smiled, “I knew I could get you to have some fun. So serious all the time.”

Catra laughed weakly, but turned away.

“You know, I didn’t betray you for fun and games,” They said, suddenly, “If I’m being honest, it was more of a last resort. Besides, you already thought I left, didn’t you?”

Catra didn’t say anything.

“They set up a trap, much more clever than they’ve ever been. Probably for the last time, too. You should’ve seen Adora acting— it was a brilliant display.”

“Adora managed to act? She can’t act to save her life!”

“I know, right? Who knew she had it in her,” They said, “Of course, it was her brilliant acting that got me captured. They set up some kind of a magical force field.”

They smirked, “Glimmer would get so frustrated when her truth spells would fail.”

“They used a truth spell?” Catra’s eyes widened, “They… interrogated you, with truth spells and… I left you there.”

“There you go,” They smirked, “I was wondering when you’d realize— honestly, I can’t really be blamed. Betraying you was the only way out, after all.”

_ I’m sorry, kitten, but the best way to survive is to, well... _

“So why the big speech? Why not just get it over with?”

“For your own good,” They said, “Although, I’ve already told you that.”

Catra hummed thoughtfully, “Did you… ever hope we could, you know, actually be friends?”

They just smiled in response, because they didn’t know the answer. They’ve always kept their hopes low in that regard.

“Well, if you’re, you know,” Catra said after a while, “Ever up for it, I’d… I wouldn’t mind a friend.”

“You already have friends,” They pointed out.

“It’s not the same,” Catra replied, “The princesses and I, we don’t really… see eye to eye. We’re allies, now, but… I don’t know if I’d call us friends.”

She wanted  _ them  _ to be her friend. She wanted their friendship, she didn’t want  _ a  _ friend she wanted  _ them. _

“It doesn’t hurt to have allies,” They smirked, and left that as their answer. Catra understood, offering them a small smile in return. Melog curled up near them. 

Maybe it wasn’t how they had imagined this to go. Maybe they thought she’d hate them. Honestly, sometimes she really  _ was  _ unpredictable.

“Get some rest,” Catra told them, “I’ll be here if you, uh, need me. It’s the least I can do.”

They hummed in response, the unease they had been feeling was loosening up. Even if their bones were basically made out of rocks, at this point.

It was strange, to think Catra seemed to genuinely  _ them _ , and not what they could do for her. But it brought an odd sort of comfort, one so foreign and strange.

They thought they could hear her purring, faintly, or it could’ve been Melog. The rhythm lulling them to sleep.

They preferred being a solo act, but perhaps they could give their loyalty for free. Just this once. Wasn’t like they had a choice, anyway.

But if they did… Well, they supposed they’d end up choosing this, anyway. They could live with this.

  
  
  



End file.
